Demonstration theory part. summary

MEI- 03 English Teaching Methods Speaking and Listening Skills

By Mitzy Glenn, María González and Deyanira Mora

1Educational material created for ULATINA Centro Interamericano de Posgrados.2013

Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension

Teaching Emphasis, Grouping and Pause to First Grade

• Intonation and Communication: Native speakers vs. nonnative speakers • Language learners: frustrated, embarrassed,

discouraged. Reading vs. speaking

Relating Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension

Relating Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension

• Communication and comprehension= listening skills and pronunciation.

Both parties Process of reassessment Matching systems of speech signals

Intonation: The “Musical” Signals of English

• Elements: Pitch patterns (melody) Timing (rhythm)• Learners: “Speaking the new language with

the music of the old language” Musical patterns: use and recognition= comprehension.

Marking New Information- Old Information

• Old information: ideas discussed or mutually understood.

• New information: new thoughts- main attention.

Sentence stress: The shift of emphasis in a conversation- to follow each others’ thoughts (listener and speaker)

• 4 Physical signals: 1. Pitch change 2. Length of the vowel3. Clarity of the vowel: atom- atomic4. Loudness

Content words - stressedWords carrying the meaning Example

MAIN VERBS sell, give, employ

NOUNS car, music, Mary

ADJECTIVES red, big, interesting

ADVERBS quickly, loudly, never

NEGATIVE AUXILIARIES don't, aren't, can't

Structure words - unstressedWords for correct grammar Example

PRONOUNS he, we, they

PREPOSITIONS on, at, into

ARTICLES a, an, the

CONJUNCTIONS and, but, because

AUXILIARY VERBS do, be, have, can, must

Word Stress RuleWord type Where is the stress? Examples

Two syllables

Nouns on the first syllablecenter object flower

Verbs on the last syllablerelease admit

arrange

Compound

Nouns (N + N)

(Adj. + N)on the first part

desktop pencil case bookshelf

greenhouse

Adjectives (Adj. + P.P.)

on the last part (the verb part)

well-meant hard-headed old-fashioned

Verbs (prep. + verb)

understand overlook

outperform

Thought Groups and Pause• Natural divisions we make when reading a text,

speaking to other people, or giving a speech in front of a class.

• To divide the message people want to convey.

• Musical signals are used to mark the end of thought groups; the speaker marks the end of a group with a pause.

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Thank you!

References Al-Sibai, D. (2004) Intonation:A Suprasegmental Aspect of the English Language.

Catford, J. C. (1992). Prosodic Features. In A Practical Introduction to Phonetics (pp. 172-186). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Gilbert, J.B (1984) Clear Speech. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Hewings, M. (1995, August) Tone Choice in the English Intonation of Non-Native Speakers. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching , 33, 251-265. Retrieved

Ranalli, J. M. Discourse Intonation: To Teach or not to Teach? Birmingham: University of Birmingham. Retrieved May 14, 2004, from http://www. cels.bham. ac.uk

/resources/essays/Rannali4.pdf

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